There are many external services available that can offer you help and support too.
The Care Leavers Covenant (CLC) has created over 2,000 opportunities for care leavers, covering employment, discounts and more.
We’ve listed some below but please also speak to your Social Worker or YPA who can signpost you to other areas of help too.
Care Leavers Covenant
The Care Leavers Covenant (CLC) has created over 2,000 opportunities for care leavers, covering employment, discounts and more.
To see what’s on offer, please visit https://mycovenant.org.uk/
Finance support
Benefits – https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits
Money Helper – Money Helper provides free impartial help with money and pensions. To book an appointment or to contact them, please visit https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/
Housing
Shelter – For free help and advice on housing please visit Get help from Shelter – Shelter England.
Support for care leavers who are new or expecting parents
We understand that for care leavers, becoming a parent will be an exciting but challenging time however your YPA will help to support you in planning for the arrival of your child and accessing post birth support.
Your YPA will be able to link in with pre and ante natal care services, housing and benefit agencies to ensure that you are provided with the care and support you need.
Some of the services available to new and expecting parents in include:
- Slough Information and Services Guide | Parenting support in Slough (sloughfamilyservices.org.uk)
- https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/how-to-apply/ (‘Healthy Start’ vouchers if you are eligible as a pregnant woman or lone parent of a child aged less than 4 years)
- Baby banks
- Help paying for childcare: Childcare you can get help paying for – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- HC2 certificates (full help with health costs) | NHSBSA (support if you qualify for exempt from medical expenses)
Sexual health support services
NHS Berkshire Healthcare – Sexual and reproductive health services in Slough provide free, confidential sexual health services, including information on all types of contraception (including emergency contraception) and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment.
Please visit NHS Berkshire Healthcare for more information at Sexual Health Service | Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
You can also:
Call: 0300 365 7777
Visit: The Garden Clinic Upton Hospital
Albert Street
Slough
SL1 2BJ
Alternatively, you can visit the Safe Sex Berkshire website
Legal and immigration matters
Solicitors: https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk
Refugee Council: https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk
Asylum seeking young people
Our Care Leavers Team will fund the application for a travel document for any of our care leavers seeking asylum. We will also contribute £75 towards the travel documents for former unaccompanied asylum seeking young people with refugee status or with Humanitarian Protection Status.
Mental health
Samaritans – Providing (emotional) support to anyone in emotional distress. Call free on 116 123, use the online chat service or speak to someone face to face.
The NHS: Visit the NHS website to access NHS mental health services and find out where to get help at Mental health services – NHS (www.nhs.uk).
Talking Therapies: Talking therapies, or psychological therapies, are effective and confidential treatments delivered by fully trained and accredited NHS practitioners.
Kooth – An anonymous, confidential online counselling and emotional wellbeing support service, and can provide a safe and secure means of accessing support from a professional team of qualified counsellors. Their doors are open to everyone in need of help, especially young people between 12 and 25. You can contact them on 01753 842 444
The Berkshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS): Works with young people who are experiencing difficulties ranging from feeling low a lot of the time and worrying about lots of things, to hearing voices and having significant difficulties around eating. Your YPA or GP can also help you with how to refer. Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have created a transition pack to help young adults with their next steps after CAMHS. To access this, please visit next-step-after-camhs-transition-pack-nhs-berkshire-dec-2023.pdf (berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk)
Drug and alcohol support
Addiction Helper – The UK’s Leading Addiction Resource Website.
‘Choosing the right addiction treatment option can feel like a daunting task, especially if you don’t know where to start.’ Call 0808 304 6255 or text “HELP” to 66777 or visit Addiction Helper – The UK’s Number 1 Addiction Resource Site for more information.
FRANK – Get free and honest information about drugs, their effects and the risks associated with them.
NHS Live Well alcohol support – The NHS Live Well site has advice about healthy living, including eating a balanced diet, healthy weight, exercise, quitting smoking and drinking less alcohol. Find out more at Live Well – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Call FRANK 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0300 123 6600. You can also text a question to 82111 and frank will get back to you. Visit https://www.talktofrank.com/ for more information.
Keeping safe
Emergency – Police, ambulance and fire service – please dial 999
Non-emergency help – For non emergency police or (NHS) medical help please dial 111
Further support for you
Become – The national charity for children in care and care leavers.
Help at Hand – The Children’s Commissioner’s advice and assistance service for children in care, children living away from home and care leavers. Get support and advice across a range of services online or via telephone.
Please visit Home – Help at Hand (childrenscommissioner.gov.uk) for more information.
Citizens Advice – Provides free, confidential information and advice to assist people on various topics including legal, debt, consumer and housing. Contactable online and in person. Visit https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ to find out more.
Coram Voice – A leading children’s rights organisation, championing the rights of children in care, care leavers and others who depend upon the help of the state.
National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum – A forum of over 125 local authority leaving care teams, working together to share good practice & improve services & support for care experienced young people.’